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Storm devastates Lithuanian village, leaving residents counting massive losses
🇱🇹 Lithuania /Disasters & Emergencies

Storm devastates Lithuanian village, leaving residents counting massive losses

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A severe storm in Veršiai village, Lithuania, destroyed a forest and damaged farm buildings.
  • The storm's intensity caused a warehouse roof to be found in tree branches and threw cabinets outside.
  • Local farmers are assessing massive losses, including ruined grain harvests and damaged structures, with community support aiding cleanup.

Residents of Veršiai village, near Leipalingis, are reeling after a powerful storm ravaged a local forest and inflicted significant damage on farm properties. The tempest, which struck with little warning, left a scene of devastation, with a farmer describing a "wall of water" obscuring visibility.

I was watching through the hangar window – 40 meters away, nothing was visible, just a wall of water and darkness.

— Žydrūnas NevulisDescribing the intensity of the storm as it hit his farm.

Žydrūnas Nevulis, a local farmer, recounted the storm's swift and brutal impact, which lasted only five minutes but caused widespread destruction. He discovered his warehouse roof lodged in tree branches hundreds of meters away, and cabinets were thrown from his home. "The sheet metal was carried several hundred meters and wrapped around a spruce tree – one, then another, all the way to the top," said Nevulis's mother, Angelė Nevulienė, emphasizing the storm's immense force.

The sheet metal was carried several hundred meters and wrapped around a spruce tree – one, then another, all the way to the top. That's how strong the force was to carry it and wrap it around.

— Angelė NevulienėExplaining the immense power of the wind that damaged their property.

The storm's fury resulted in substantial losses for local farmers. Nevulis reported that approximately 80 tons of grain were completely soaked and ruined in the silos. Beyond the agricultural damage, a house roof was torn off, and a garage wall was destroyed. The local community rallied to help, with about 25 people assisting Nevulis throughout the night with the cleanup efforts.

About 80 tons of grain and they are completely soaked. Simply in water in the granaries.

— Žydrūnas NevulisDetailing the agricultural losses due to the storm.

This was the second major storm to hit the region in less than a week, with this latest squall and gale-force winds primarily affecting the Alytus, Varėna, Lazdijai, and Druskininkai districts. Falling trees blocked roads, and thousands of residents lost electricity. Emergency services responded to numerous calls to clear fallen trees, with one incident requiring the removal of over 25 trees. Meteorologists had warned of the storm, which moved in from Poland, bringing wind gusts of 15-19 m/s, though eyewitness accounts suggest the wind was much stronger.

About 25 people worked, gathering from everywhere.

— Žydrūnas NevulisExpressing gratitude for the community's help in the cleanup.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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